Just Joshing You

The 2008 NFL Draft has now come and gone. There is absolutely no possible way for me to grade and evaluate every single team’s draft outcomes, because I just don’t pay that much attention to every team. So really I can only focus on the Redskins (Though I suppose I could write about the Dolphins a bit, but I just don’t feel like it. They did well.). Without further ado, the 2008 NFL Draft, for the Washington Redskins.

My skins went into day 1 with the 21st overall pick. Not too bad, I was thinking. I didn’t actually get to watch live coverage, so I went all day without knowing what happened. At 21st pick however, you’re not actually getting the best player for your money, as first round players cost and demand more than subsequent round players, when they may not be worth it. “But this is Dan Snyder we’ve got here,” I thought, “We’re doomed!”

On the contrary! To my surprise, we traded down and ended up with 3 2nd round picks, in which we picked Devin Thomas (pick #34), Fred Davis (pick #48), and Malcolm Kelly (pick #51). That’s wide receiver, tight end, wide receiver. Here’s my thoughts on this. Yes, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are taller receivers that both show some pretty good potential. Hell, Devin Thomas was even the #1 receiver on many teams’ draft boards. But we’ve already got Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El, not to mention Chris Cooley, who keeps catching the most passes. Could we not have picked just Devin Thomas, and gotten someone else with the 48th or 51st pick, and then picked up another receiver somewhere later on down the line. I’m not picking on the Fred Davis pick because he was overall the BEST player available at the time, and sometime you have to make value picks rather than need picks. God forbid Chris Cooley goes down with a horrible injury. But what about a defensive end to compliment Andre Carter so we can effectively pressure quarterbacks better? How about a shutdown defensive tackle to stop the run better? Hell, ANY defensive player would have been alright with me. I can’t help but think that if Gregg Williams were still in some way apart of our organization, we wouldn’t have gone WR, TE, WR.

How about some O-line help? We’ve got a bright young prospect in Jason Campbell. I’d like to see him get the opportunities he needs to assert himself as a top quarterback in this league. Without adequate protection, it’s going to be a rough road for him. Chad Rinehart was picked in the 3rd round, an OT out of Northern Iowa. I suppose that adds some depth to our O-line, but I’d like to see it stronger. Perhaps through free agency? I don’t even know who’s available out there right now.

They drafted CB, P, DB, and QB after that, in that order. The QB there is none other than Hawaii’s Colt Brennan, and in the 6th round, no less. There were some that originally had him going in the 1st or 2nd round! His stock fell significantly after the Sugar Bowl, huh?

The Skins used their last two picks on defensive end Rob Jackson and safety Chris Horton. These seem to be alright picks. Horton adds depth to the safety position since Sean Taylor has died and Pierson Prioleau didn’t re-sign with the team. Reed Doughty and LaRon Landry seem as if they’ll keep the starting positions though. I don’t know anything about Rob Jackson. People seem to say he’s a good pass rusher? Apparently he tackles well? Who knows.

Draft “gurus” all across the internet seem to have all rated the Skins draft a success. Is it really? I don’t know. I really would have rather focused more on defense. “Defense wins championships,” after all. I sure hope Jim Zorn knows what he’s doing. I suppose I can understand the picks, it just doesn’t mean I have to like them.

I predict nobody caring about this post.